Kuwait Denies Mediation for Yemen Reconciliation

Kuwait has denied there was any mediation for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Al Jarallah said that Kuwait was keen on a political settlement of the Yemeni crisis that would save lives and ensure the country’s stability and integral unity. However, the political solution remained elusive.

“Kuwait hosted consultations for peace between the various Yemeni sides involved in the conflict for more than three months, but there was no agreement that could lead to a political solution to the crisis,” Al Jarallah told the media in Kuwait.

Kuwait hosted the Yemen peace negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations from April 21 until August 6 as part of the international endeavours to put an end to the conflict in the war-torn country in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.

“There are efforts deployed by the United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad and other countries in the region, and we wish them all success. The Yemeni brothers are welcome to sign the final agreement they may reach through their current contacts and communications.”

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, in a speech to the Shura Council outlining the kingdom’s policies, vowed to prevent other nations from interfering in neighbouring Yemen, where it has been fighting Iranian-backed rebels since March 2015.

The king said the security of neighbouring Yemen was the security of Saudi Arabia.

“We will not allow anyone to interfere in its domestic affairs or to seek to influence on the legitimacy there, or to turn it into a base or corridor for any country or party that targets the security or stability of Saudi Arabia or the region. We do look forward to the success of the United Nations endeavours to reach a political solution based on Security Council Resolution 2216,” King Salman said.